WOODLAND, Calif. — Jury selection began Friday in Yolo County Superior Court for the retrial of Carlos Reales Dominguez, the former UC Davis student charged in the 2023 Davis stabbings that left two people dead and one injured, as the court prepared to seat jurors ahead of opening statements scheduled for May 26.
The retrial comes nearly a year after Dominguez’s first trial ended in a hung jury. Jurors reportedly voted 10-2 in favor of acquittal on second-degree murder charges but failed to reach unanimous verdicts on the remaining counts. Dominguez has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Judge Samuel T. McAdam opened proceedings Friday by addressing prospective jurors gathered both in the courtroom and through a livestream overflow system because of the large number of jurors summoned for the case.
McAdam summarized the allegations for jurors, explaining the matter involved three stabbings that occurred in the city of Davis between April 27 and May 1, 2023. The incidents resulted in the deaths of David Breaux and Karim Abou Najm, and injuries to Kimberlee Guillory.
The court explained that Dominguez faces “two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and various enhancements,” while reminding prospective jurors that the accused has entered pleas of “not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity.”
Friday’s proceedings focused primarily on jury roll call and hardship determinations for what the court described as a lengthy and complex trial expected to last through early August.
The retrial is expected to again focus heavily on Dominguez’s mental state at the time of the attacks. Earlier pretrial hearings addressed disputes over what evidence jurors may hear regarding Dominguez’s schizophrenia diagnosis, alleged cannabis-induced psychosis and marijuana use leading up to the stabbings.
Deputy District Attorney Matt DeMoura appeared Friday for the prosecution alongside Alex Kian, while Deputy Public Defender Dan Hutchinson represented Dominguez.
Dominguez remains in custody without bail as jury selection and hardship determinations will proceed Monday, May 18, in Yolo County Superior Court.
Follow the Vanguard on Social Media – X, Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe the Vanguard News letters. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org/donate or give directly through ActBlue. Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.
